As you know, I’ve been in a season of healing from my long-term illness of the past few years. One of the things I’ve been reminded of is the need to continue the habits I used to survive spiritually while sick — even when I’m recovering.  Like thankfulness. (Hey, don’t click away! I know your inbox is overflowing with thanksgiving posts, but stick with me!) We need to celebrate healing — it’s crucial to recovery.

As we heal, it’s important that we celebrate it. I’ve talked about how hard it is to heal in the past. But . . . it is a victory. And a good thing. A great thing, actually. One that deserves over-the-top joyous celebration.

“The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.” -Psalm 65:8 (NIV)

When morning dawns after a long, dark night, it’s important that we submit to God calling forth songs of joy. Healing has a lot of mourning in it. But it also has a lot of celebrating. Or should, anyway.

As Ecclesiastes says, there are times for everything. Including, “a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh,  a time to mourn and a time to dance”.

But we cannot get so caught up in one time or another that we fail to participate and obey in the other times. Healing can be easy to forget to celebrate. Especially when we keep looking forward. Continually moving forward in healing is crucial. If we stand still, the healing process might stall out and we might get stuck where we are. But when we are striving forward so much it’s easy to forget the moments. It’s easy to forget to live where we are and celebrate the steps we’re currently taking. It’s easy to become discontent and lust after more healing, frustrated by the slowness.

It’s amazing how as soon as we get a small taste of healing and recovery — as soon as we allow ourselves to actually hope — the delight and wonder at it only lasts a short time before we’re desperately craving more. It’s almost like as I heal I realize how sick I was and still am.

I didn’t realize how much mental and physical ability I was missing. But as soon as I get a little more mobility or a little less brain fog, I realize just how much I have. And how much I still need to progress. Have you noticed the same thing?

That desire to move forward and gain even more healing and further recovery is a good thing. A really good thing. But praising God for the tiny steps we gain every day is so important! The need to fight for joy and to give thanks while ill was pretty obvious. But it’s just as important a need while we’re healing, and as we step into and live in the light.

Because joy doesn’t come from happy circumstances. Even then, there is and will be things that suck joy away. Praising God and seeking Him continually isn’t going to happen on its own without purposeful action on our part. So celebrate healing. Delight in the moments of victory. To defeat discontent, make sure you are continually giving purposeful thanks.